Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 91: Secret Promise

Vol 2 Chapter 91: Secret Promise

Lin Xiaolu had been in a great mood these past few days.

It wasn’t just because school was out and she didn’t have to deal with classes—it was also because her Magical Girl duties had eased up quite a bit.

The reduced workload was partly due to a further drop in Ravager attack frequency, now nearly back to last year’s levels. But more importantly, it was because Lin Xiaolu had gotten stronger. With her Magical Armor, dealing with Ravagers had become much easier.

Thanks to that, she finally had a large chunk of personal time on her hands. Even if she dedicated a good portion of it to magic training, there was still plenty of free time left.

But in truth, none of that was the real reason for her good mood.

On the fifth day of the holiday, as the New Year smoothly unfolded and the festive air began to fade, people resumed their normal rhythms, and the streets returned to their usual lively state.

In the early morning, Lin Xiaolu opened her eyes groggily to the sound of her alarm.

Last night, the younger members of the two squads and the fairies had gathered for an all-night board game session. Most of them had gone to bed near dawn, so she hadn’t really gotten enough sleep.

Yawning as she stepped into the washroom, she fumbled around until she found her towel by the sink. Dipping it in cold water, she slapped it onto her face with a sharp “smack.”

“Phew.”

As the cold towel pressed against her face, even her nerves began to wake up. Only then did she feel slightly more alive and let out a long breath.

—“You look half-dead. It’s not like you have school today, so why are you up so early?”

Moko’s voice came from nearby.

It had also been at the game night. But unlike the others, Moko was used to sleeping during the day, so even after staying up all night with the Magical Girls, it didn’t feel sleep-deprived at all.

Originally, it had planned to nap as soon as the sun rose, but upon noticing Lin Xiaolu waking up, it had come over, curious.

“Sleepy... doesn’t matter.”

Lin Xiaolu mumbled from beneath the towel, “I’ve got something super important to do today.”

“What important thing?”

Moko tilted its head, thought for a moment, then suddenly lit up, “Oh! Is it waking up early to play mobile games—”

—“No, it’s not!”

Lin Xiaolu yanked the towel off her face and glared at Moko. “Waking up at the crack of dawn just to play mobile games? What kind of person do you take me for?”

“Didn’t you sneak around playing all night during finals?”

“How many times do I have to say it? That was because there was an event going on!”

She raised a finger to her lips in a “shhh” gesture. “And don’t say it so loud! I’ve told you before—not to go blabbing about that stuff.”

“Who has time to blab about your little secrets all day?” Moko rolled its eyes. “Fine, fine, I’m heading to bed. Let me borrow your alarm clock.”

Even after moving into the base and getting its own room, Moko still didn’t really own anything, so most of the time it crashed in the rooms of the squad members. Since Bai Jingxuan was often around during the day, it tended to float between Xia Liang’s and Lin Xiaolu’s rooms. Borrowing Lin Xiaolu’s stuff had become a regular habit.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, just don’t bug me,” Lin Xiaolu muttered, waving her hand dismissively.

Moko didn’t push it, just fluttered off with its wings, casually heading out. But just before exiting, it mumbled something under its breath that Lin Xiaolu still managed to catch.

She froze mid-toothpaste squeeze.

Dropping the toothbrush, she leaned halfway out of the door and yelled at Moko’s retreating figure:

“Who are you calling a stubborn mule, you lazy snack fairy?!”

“I am lazy!” Moko stuck out its tongue and sped off down the hallway.

These days, now that the Bo’an City Squad had gotten used to the crew from Fangting City, Moko had long since figured out its place under the shadows of Veronica and Margaret, two senior Magical Girls.

—Though Moko was still irreplaceable as a Seeder, when it came to guiding and training squads, it was clearly outclassed by those two.

Plus, with Fangting City's Magical Girl numbers now well beyond what was necessary, the need to scout new combatants had become negligible. In the end, all it could still contribute was detecting Ravager activity.

And that skill, inherent to Garden Fairies, didn’t even require it to be awake—meaning its daily routine had become exceedingly lazy.

Maybe at first, it felt a little guilty about that. But over time, that guilt had long since evaporated, replaced entirely by blissful contentment.

Lin Xiaolu had sensed some of this internal shift, though she hadn’t quite figured it out completely. Which is why she occasionally still tried to jab at Moko about it—though clearly, that strategy no longer worked.

Still, none of that really mattered to her today.

Because she had something far more important to do: eat breakfast.

Yes, after pulling an all-nighter and forcing herself to wake up early, her sole goal was to have breakfast.

When Lin Xiaolu stepped into the dining room, two others were already there eating.

One was Bai Ji, and the other was Bai Jingxuan.

Bai Ji—or rather, Qiu Yun—being present wasn’t a surprise. She had always presented herself as meticulous and self-disciplined. Sleeping in didn’t seem her style. As for Bai Jingxuan… she had been the first to leave the party last night, dragged off to bed mid-game by Veronica.

So ironically, it was Lin Xiaolu’s appearance that shocked the others most.

“Sister Xiaolu? You’re up this early?” Bai Jingxuan asked without hesitation.

Qiu Yun gave a brief glance, said “Good morning,” and then lowered her head again to focus on her food.

“What’s the big deal? I can wake up early if I want.” Lin Xiaolu pulled out a chair and sat down. “It’s not like I couldn’t wake up before. Just didn’t have a reason to.”

“Really?” Bai Jingxuan said with a mouthful of porridge, her spoon bouncing comically at her lips. Qiu Yun gave her a sideways look, then silently shielded her own bowl with a hand.

“Well, sure, I’m still a bit sleepy,” Lin Xiaolu admitted after a pause, revising her previous claim. “But… today’s a special day.”

“A special day?” Bai Jingxuan finally removed the spoon from her mouth.

“You don’t get it?” Lin Xiaolu raised a brow, then turned her gaze toward the kitchen with a knowing smile. “You really don’t?”

Just then, Veronica, wearing an apron, walked out of the kitchen.

She’d come out because of the commotion in the dining room, and since she was cooking breakfast today, the first thing she saw was Lin Xiaolu’s very obvious stare.

“You’re up?” she said, surprised like the others. But upon noticing Lin Xiaolu’s odd expression, she narrowed her eyes. “What’s that look for?”

“Nothing. Morning.” Lin Xiaolu quickly wiped the smile off her face and sat up straighter. “I was just chatting with Bai Jingxuan.”

“Hmm.” Veronica didn’t push it. She went back into the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of porridge with a fried egg, and placed it in front of Lin Xiaolu. “So why are you up so early? Couldn’t sleep? Stayed up?”

“I slept.”

Lin Xiaolu carefully took the bowl. “But I had something important this morning, so I got up.”

“Huh?” Veronica was confused.

“Well, yesterday you said you’d be at the base today, handling breakfast, right?” Lin Xiaolu explained.

That was true.

It was the fourth day of the New Year, and the Countermeasure Bureau rotated shifts every three days. Lin Yun, as Bureau Director, had ensured the first rotation ran smoothly, so it made sense he took a break now.

What didn’t make sense was how that related to Lin Xiaolu waking up early.

“So…”

Lin Xiaolu smiled, and her next words cleared it up: “When I remembered you’d be cooking, I got up early.”

That line explained everything. She got up simply because Veronica was making breakfast.

“…That’s so cheesy.” Veronica sighed, gently bonked her on the back of the head. “Do I not cook for you often enough? Don’t go saying weird things all of a sudden.”

Lin Xiaolu just grinned and said nothing.

To Bai Jingxuan and Qiu Yun, watching this interaction from across the table, it was certainly a strange sight.

Bai Jingxuan didn’t think much of it. She herself always wore her emotions openly. But she had never seen Sister Xiaolu behave so affectionate toward Veronica before.

Qiu Yun, on the other hand, went from calm to puzzled, then to realization. She looked down at her half-eaten porridge, a bit awkward.

Thankfully, the moment didn’t last. Once Veronica went back into the kitchen, the tension at the table faded like ripples from a stone.

Lin Xiaolu casually picked up her spoon and began blowing on her porridge. Bai Jingxuan, having finished hers, began peeling her egg slowly.

Qiu Yun, after a long silence, looked up, expression conflicted.

“How… how do you even manage to say things like that?”

“Hm?”

Lin Xiaolu blinked, not realizing the question was directed at her until a few seconds later. “Say what?”

“You know… saying that stuff so boldly.”

Qiu Yun rubbed her thumb along the edge of her bowl. “Doesn’t it feel super awkward?”

She wasn’t that close to Lin Xiaolu, but after half a month, she thought she’d figured her out. Lin Xiaolu seemed, at her core, to be just as emotionally reserved as she was.

Which is why she couldn’t help thinking: the old Lin Xiaolu never would’ve said that.

“Oh, that.” Lin Xiaolu shoved a spoonful of porridge into her mouth and looked up thoughtfully. “Would you feel awkward being affectionate with your mom?”

“Eh?”

Qiu Yun was caught off guard by the question. After a moment, she answered uncertainly, “…I don’t know?”

“You don’t? Oh… sorry.”

Lin Xiaolu understood instantly. Her expression softened with empathy. Setting down her spoon, she held up a finger. “Then let’s imagine—if your mom were still around, how would you feel?”

Qiu Yun fell silent.

She gave no further reply, lost either in thought or memory.

Meanwhile, Bai Jingxuan quickly finished her egg, cradled her bowl, and ran into the kitchen.

“Five Thunder Exploding Gate!” she shouted indistinctly, mouth still full.

The table quieted with just two left behind.

Qiu Yun didn’t register her departure. She was busy searching her mind for fragments of her mother—trying to reconstruct that fading image into something whole. And in doing so, she found an answer she wasn't yet ready to share aloud.

She opened her mouth to say something—to discuss it with Lin Xiaolu—but was caught off guard.

Lin Xiaolu had already raised her bowl in both hands, with the grandeur of a warrior.

Then, to Qiu Yun’s horror, she tilted the steaming hot bowl to her lips.

Dear heavens, to keep the porridge hot for the late risers, Veronica had kept it in a pressure cooker, reheating it periodically. It was scalding hot!

But in front of Qiu Yun’s stunned eyes, Lin Xiaolu chugged the entire thing.

Had she lost her mind?

Before Qiu Yun could process it, Lin Xiaolu shoved her egg into her pajama pocket, grabbed the bowl, and bolted into the kitchen.

“I’m coming too!”

Her speed, her decisiveness, her wildly irrational motive—all left Qiu Yun speechless.

Soon after, Veronica’s angry voice rang out: “There are only two bowls! You’re both going to squash each other!”

But the sound barely registered anymore.

As for why it came to this—well, that goes back to what Veronica said a few days ago, when Lin Xiaolu asked if she could see her as a mother.

“I’m not Sakura. I could never be Sakura. If you’re looking for her shadow in me, you’ll only end up disappointed.”

That had been her answer.

She didn’t know what kind of feelings led Lin Xiaolu to ask that question. To Lin Yun, no matter the identity, having her daughter depend on her wasn’t a bad thing.

But she had chosen honesty. And the truth was: Veronica was a disguise. Her real identity was Lin Yun. And Lin Yun remembered every detail of life with Anya.

She knew how much Anya adored their daughter. Knew how deeply Lin Xiaolu had clung to her. No one could ever take Anya’s place.

Even if Lin Xiaolu showed trust or affection toward Veronica, Lin Yun worried she couldn’t live up to being the “mother” her daughter longed for.

Especially since Veronica wasn’t a permanent identity.

One day, Lin Yun would reveal the truth. And everything Veronica had done would be re-evaluated in that light.

For most things, she had no regrets. She’d done her best, lies aside.

But if she gave in and let Lin Xiaolu treat her like a mother—wouldn’t that be deceiving her, emotionally, on a much deeper level?

“I know.”

Lin Xiaolu had replied with equal honesty.

“I still miss my mom. And I know you’re not her.”

“It probably sounds weird, but I feel the same way when I’m with you. Even though you’re completely different, I still feel the same warmth.”

“You’re not the same person. But the feeling is the same. So I only have one answer.”

“I like you, Veronica.”

“I used to be confused about what ‘liking’ meant. I knew I liked my mom. I didn’t like my dad. I liked Magical Girls on TV. I didn’t like myself.”

“But after meeting you, I started to understand what it really meant.”

“When I think of you, I feel warm. When I see you, I feel happy. When I’m with you, I feel at peace. When we make eye contact, I wish it could last longer.”

“I want your attention. I want to be important to you. I want to be close to you. I want to be the one who makes you stay.”

“You once said that when I became strong enough to stand on my own, you’d leave. Right?”

“You said it would be my choice—"

“But what if I want you to stay forever?”

Veronica went silent again.

She could’ve made promises. But not to her daughter. Not like this.

Because one day, either Veronica or Lin Yun would leave her life.

And that silence… was interpreted another way.

“Sorry… did I scare you?”

Lin Xiaolu stepped back a bit. “Sorry for showing you this side of me. But I can’t hide it anymore. I can’t lie to myself either.”

“I’m not as smart as Xia Liang. I’m not as well-behaved as Bai Jingxuan. Every time I see you with them, I get so jealous I can barely stand it.”

“I want to be close to you like Xia Liang is. I want to speak freely like Bai Jingxuan does. I want to be even more loved than them.”

“But I’m scared that it’s just one-sided. You’ve already done so much for me. If I keep clinging to you, maybe I’m just being annoying.”

She bit her lip. “Maybe I’m already being shameless.”

“But instead of overthinking every day, I thought I’d just say it out loud.”

“If you agree, that’s great. If you think I’m annoying, I’ll step back…”

—“Lulu.”

Veronica’s voice interrupted her spiraling thoughts.

Just one word. But it brought Lin Xiaolu’s racing mind to a stop.

“That’s what Sakura used to call you, right?”

Veronica let out a sigh and slowly raised her arms.

“Stop overthinking. Come here.”

“Really?” Lin Xiaolu asked steadily.

“If you don’t, I’ll drop my arms,” Veronica replied flatly.

The next second, Lin Xiaolu threw herself into her arms.

The hug was fierce—at least for a fourteen-year-old. But to someone with a Magical Girl’s physique, it was nothing.

They simply embraced. No more words. Because the hug said it all.

“One day, I will leave.”

After a long pause, Veronica spoke again. “I told you I’d wait until you retired, but honestly—I’m not sure I can wait that long.”

“Mm.” Lin Xiaolu rested her chin on her shoulder.

“But if, by then, you’ve become a Magical Girl who can truly stand on her own… then you can choose to come with me.”

“I won’t stop you. I have no right to. No one can stop a Magical Girl who stands alone.”

“Mm.” Her breath trembled.

“And until then…”

Veronica paused, then made up her mind.

“If you want… no matter who you think I am… then go ahead—be as clingy as you want.”